The South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is expected to address the country’s energy crisis during his annual state of the nation address on Thursday. The ceremony is usually conducted with great pomp and circumstance, but due to the energy crisis, it will be held in the evening from the Town Hall. The president is facing calls for sobriety for his reception, which is billed at more than 424,000 euros. The president’s predecessor, Jacob Zuma, was plagued by years of mismanagement and endemic corruption and was eventually impeached, but Cyril Ramaphosa escaped impeachment proceedings in December. The ANC subsequently re-elected him as its leader, assuring him of a second term if the ANC wins the 2024 general election.